Himachal polls: Seat of Virbhadra's confidant changed

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Last Updated: Thu, Oct 11, 2012 19:20 hrs

Shimla, Oct 11 (IANS) The Congress party's central leadership Thursday changed the seat of a close confidant of Himachal Pradesh Congress president Virbhadra Singh ahead of the Nov 4 assembly polls, a move that may irk the former chief minister.

Sudhir Sharma, earlier named the party's candidate from Dharamsala, has been shifted to neighbouring constituency Jwalamukhi in Kangra district, a party leader told IANS here. Sharma is a close confidant of five-time former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.

Reacting to the change in his constituency, Sharma told IANS: "I will not move to any other constituency. If I will contest, I will contest only from Dharamsala."

Sharma is a sitting legislator from Baijnath but now after fresh delimitation the constituency has been reserved.

Sanjay Rattan, who was earlier the Congress's candidate from Jwalamukhi, has been dropped. In the 2007 assembly polls, he contested as an independent but suffered defeat.

Party sources said Manoj Kumar, a tribal leader, is now the candidate from Dharamsala where the BJP has fielded tribal leader Kishan Kapoor, who is presently industries minister.